Implement order by Oct 15, Lodha panel to BCCI

BCCI has stated that it would submit the first compliance report by August 25

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The Supreme Court-appointed three-member Lodha panel has directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to implement its 15 key recommendations by October 15.

According to sources, the committee members met BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke on Tuesday and sought a compliance report by August 25. The board president Aunrag Thakur skipped the meeting, citing his duties as a Member of Parliament.

The BCCI has been citing “practical difficulties” in implementing some of the recommendations of Lodha panel. Objections have been raised against recommendations such as ‘one state, one vote’ and barring members from holding positions once they attain the age of 70 years. Two of BCCI’s prominent past presidents Sharad Pawar and N. Srinivasan have attained the age of 70. Similarly, in current system, states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi have multiple votes.

According to sources, Shirke informed the panel that the Board will be seeking a review petition. The meeting lasted for around one and a half hours.

According to sources, the BCCI might be expecting a stay order on the panel’s recommendations. However, such a stay order is highly unlikely. “It has to be submitted before the same bench that had approved the committee’s report. As per precedence, such review petitions have rarely got accepted in the SC,” said Rahul Mehra, an advocate who practices in the Supreme Court. Mehra had earlier filed the public interest litigation (PIL) against the BCCI, seeking transparency and accountability in the way the board functions.

According to sources, the Lodha panel also advised the BCCI to follow transparency in awarding lucrative television rights. Even if BCCI files a review petition, it will have to abide by the Supreme Court’s verdict on the panel’s recommendations relating to principles of transparency that are needed to be followed in order to award broadcast rights, unless they get a stay order, said a source.

Meanwhile, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, whom the BCCI appointed last week for legal assistance into the matter, wrote in a blog: “I have advised the BCCI to mention in their review petition that Justice Thakur (CJI) should recuse himself from the bench hearing the review petition, otherwise the review petition will be futile.”

The BCCI may also face a show-cause notice from International Cricket Council (ICC) and interference by a government committee into its internal matters may lead to loss of membership. The ICC had earlier threatened cricket boards in Sri Lanka and Pakistan on similar grounds. International Olympic Committee had banned Indian Olympic Association and Kuwait Olympic Committee due to interference by the respective governments. The Board is expected to file a review petition with a week.

BCCI V/S LODHA PANEL: WHEN STAKES ARE HIGH

• Interference by government panel may affect BCCI’s international membership
   
• International Cricket Council had earlier showcaused Sri Lanka & Pakistan
   
• One state, one vote: To reduce powers of strong states — Maharashtra (4 votes), Delhi (3), Gujarat (3) and Bengal (2)
   
• Two former presidents — Sharad Pawar (75 years) & N Srinivasan (71 years) — will be barred from BCCI
   
• Several IAS officers, ministers attached with state cricket bodies will lose their posts